Intro

Good day! We are back for another exciting edition of Splinterlands Battle Mage Secrets. This week, we will explore the battle ruleset called "Going the Distance." In this ruleset, only ranged attacks are permitted on the battlefield. It is important to note that range monsters typically cannot attack the first position, unless they possess a close-range ability that enables them to target the monster in that position.

Battle Rules

My battle to share features a 3-battle rule with a maximum mana requirement of 36. The elements allowed for this battle are fire, life, water, death, earth, dragon, and neutral.

The three rules for this battle are "Going the Distance," "Holy Protection," and "Armored Up." The "Going the Distance" rule restricts the use of only ranged monsters. Ranged monsters are unable to attack the first position unless they possess the close-range ability. On the other hand, the "Holy Protection" and "Armored Up" rules create a defensive ruleset that enhances the durability of your monsters, making them tougher to defeat.

Battle Line Up

ASTRAL ENTITY "SUMMONER"
I picked the Astral Entity from the Death element as my summoner. The reasoning behind this choice is that the Astral Entity has the ability to reduce armor by -2, which serves as an effective counter against the "Armored Up" rule. Additionally, the Astral Entity possesses the dodge and resurrect abilities. The dodge ability will prove crucial in this battle, as it increases the chances of the enemy missing their attacks, especially considering that all the monsters in this battle are range attackers dealing physical damage. The resurrect ability allows me to bring back fallen allies, effectively delaying the advancement of my opponent and protecting my lineup.

GARGOYA DEVIL "FIRST POSITION"
Normally, I prefer to position monsters with the flying ability in the first position. However, in this battle where only range attack monsters are allowed, I had to choose monsters with additional ability the "close-range ability". I want this close range ability as this can inflict damage on the first position, it will be a big help if all of your line up will do damage to opponent. That's why I opted for the Garoya Devil, which not only possesses the close-range ability but also has the additional benefit of the deathblow ability.

QUEEN OF CROWS "SECOND POSITION"
To support my first position in case it gets eliminated, I selected the Queen of Crows as my second position monster, which possesses the close ability. Additionally, her headwind’s ability is advantageous as it reduces the range attack of my opponent. The Queen of Crows also boasts a decent amount of health, making her an ideal choice as a secondary tank.

RAVENHOOD WARDEN "THIRD POSITION"
For my third position, I picked a monster that give additional armor to allied monsters.

SUPPLY RUNNER "FOURTH POSITION"
Having Astral Entity as my summoner, I made sure to include Supply Runner in my lineup to enhance the effectiveness of the dodge ability. Supply Runner possesses the swiftness ability, which increases the speed of allied monsters.

WEIRDING WARRIOR "FIFTH POSITION"
Positioning Weirding Warrior in this specific slot will be a strategic move, as he will not be targeted if the opponent's monsters have the sneak ability. This monster proves to be valuable with its shatter ability, which effectively removes the opponent's armor.

XENITH ARCHER "SIX POSITION"
The last position it for supporting or providing tank to my middle line up in case my enemy uses monsters with sneak ability. Choosing Xenith Archer will be fine.

OVERALL LINE UP INCLUDING MY OPPONENT
My opponent opted to choose General Sloan from the life element. General Sloan provides additional range damage. For his monsters my opponent picked Drybone Raider, War Pegasus, Lone Boatman, Venari Crystalsmith, Herbalist, and Xenith Archers.

Battle Rounds Summary

For the full video see this LINK.

ROUNDS 1 to 2

ROUNDS 3 to 4

In my battle, my opponent failed to eliminate any of my lineup as it missed a lot of its attacks.

CONCLUSION

In this type of battle where only ranged attacks are allowed, it is important to consider monsters with the close-range and flying abilities. The use of Astral Entity has proven to be a good choice for this ruleset. Supporting it with abilities that increase speed or slow down the opponent would be beneficial. Additionally, reducing ranged attacks and providing more defense would be a good strategic option.

Hope that you enjoy my battle. If interested to experience play to earn games here is may referral link: https://splinterlands.com?ref=multicastx7